Guidelines for the Perfect Goodbye - Chapter 206

‘Is she really that understanding though?’

Ulysses had only started paying attention to her yesterday.

There was no way his mother, Guinevere, would understand and accept her son’s feelings after just a day. It seemed more likely that their relationship was so strained that she didn’t bother paying attention to him at all.

“…marriage, correct?”

The sudden question made Cecilia lift her gaze. One of the two men sitting across from her had asked something. It was natural that she didn’t know what had been asked, or even who had asked it.

She had been too absorbed in her thoughts of that guy.

However, Cecilia didn’t panic. She responded with a soft smile.

“Apologies, I was distracted by my dress. Could you kindly repeat that?”

Not knowing who had asked the question, Cecilia deliberately lowered her gaze to her teacup and then looked up again. Seeing her upward glance, the two men’s faces reddened slightly. The man on the right spoke.

“Oh, I was just asking if, Lady Cecilia, you…”

Crash!

The sound of breaking glass came from the other side of the room. Ulysses, who had been staring down at the shattered plate, rose to his feet.

“My apologies. That was an accident.”

As shards of glass flew toward her, Guinevere jumped up and brushed off her dress.

“Ulysses! Where is has mind flown right now?!”

Her fussiness was, as usual, exaggerated.

“Did any of the glass get stuck? It’s hard to see with all the jewels on the dress… What if you cut your hand— Ulysses!”

“I’m sorry.”

“Just call a maid! Clean this up… No, I should step out first.”

A young maid rushed to help the startled Guinevere out of the room, while another maid cleaned up the mess, leaving the drawing room briefly in chaos.

As a result, the conversation on the sofa abruptly halted. The man who had tried to ask Cecilia a question looked uncomfortable and shot a glare at Ulysses.

But when Ulysses turned his head toward him, the man quickly crossed his legs in the opposite direction and pretended not to notice.

With Guinevere absent, it fell to Cecilia to smooth things over. She offered a polite smile.

“I had such a wonderful time today. I learned so much from your insightful conversation.”

The men seemed taken aback by her sudden shift toward wrapping things up.

“Lady Cecilia, it’s still early…”

“Oh, but the sun is already high in the sky. I wouldn’t want to monopolize the time of such busy gentlemen.”

Cecilia smoothly ushered them toward the front door.

“Perhaps we could go for a walk together instead?”

One of the men, with a shiny bald head, asked with a hint of reluctance in his voice.

Cecilia hesitated for a moment. Would their connections be useful?

None of these men were crazy enough to come here with the genuine intent of proposing to her. While she wasn’t formally engaged like Ulysses and Caroline had once been, she knew they were aware of the current state of her betrothal.

Their families were modest. Though they were part of the capital’s nobility, they were not significant enough to be close to the Pierce Dukedom.

More importantly, they saw her not as a typical social acquaintance but as a woman. If she showed them any more courtesy, it would only harm her reputation.

‘They’re useless.’

Having made her judgment, Cecilia shook her head.

“No, I think not today…”

“Oh, don’t be like that.”

One of the men bent his arm, offering it to her.

His boldness, bordering on rudeness, made her frown. Just as she was about to refuse again, Ulysses stepped forward.

“Apologies, but Lady Cecilia and I already planned to take a walk together.”

“…”

Cecilia looked up at Ulysses. The man who had offered his arm blushed and stammered.

“Then perhaps I could join you…”

“I could come too.”

“You too…?”

As the two men engaged in a needless rivalry, Ulysses spoke.

“Well, there are three of us and only two of her hands.”

He smiled.

“How about you two escort each other instead?”

“…”

“…”

The men glared at Ulysses before bowing stiffly and walking away.

One of them muttered under his breath as they left.

“Like a gypsy girl, seducing men left and right…”

Ulysses took a step forward, but Cecilia placed a hand on his arm. He turned to look at her.

She asked,

“Aren’t we going for a walk?”

“…”

Ulysses froze mid-step, as if he couldn’t bring himself to drop her hand.

“What did that man just say?”

Ulysses turned his head away.

What did he say?

‘Just one thing I need to clarify—there’s no obligation to take care of your birth mother after marriage, correct?’

Recalling the man’s words, Ulysses answered indifferently.

“Nothing important.”

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